14e GNBHR ch12 SM

Chapter 12
Differential Analysis: The Key to

Decision Making
Solutions to Questions
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2012. All rights reserved.

Solutions Manual, Chapter 12
639
12-1 A relevant cost is a cost that differs

in total between the alternatives in a
decision.
12-2 An incremental cost (or benefit) is
the change in cost (or benefit) that will
result from some proposed action. An
opportunity cost is the benefit that is lost
or sacrificed when rejecting some course
of action. A sunk cost is a cost that has
already been incurred and that cannot be
changed by any future decision.
12-3 No. Variable costs are relevant
costs only if they differ in total between
the alternatives under consideration.
12-4 No. Not all fixed costs are sunk
only those for which the cost has already
been irrevocably incurred. A variable cost
can be a sunk cost if it has already been
incurred.
12-5 No. A variable cost is a cost that
varies in total amount in direct proportion
to changes in the level of activity. A
differential cost is the difference in cost
between two alternatives. If the level of
activity is the same for the two
alternatives, a variable cost will not be
affected and it will be irrelevant.
12-6 No. Only those future costs that
differ between the alternatives are
relevant.
12-7 Only those costs that would be
avoided as a result of dropping the
product line are relevant in the decision.
Costs that will not be affected by the
decision are irrelevant.
12-8 Not necessarily. An apparent loss
may be the result of allocated common
costs or of sunk costs that cannot be
avoided if the product is dropped. A
product should be discontinued only if the
contribution margin that will be lost as a
result of dropping the product is less than
the fixed costs that would be avoided.
Even in that situation the product may be
retained if it promotes the sale of other
products.
12-9 Allocations of common fixed costs

can make a product (or other segment)
appear to be unprofitable, whereas in fact
it may be profitable.
12-10 If a company decides to make a
part internally rather than to buy it from
an outside supplier, then a portion of the
companys facilities have to be used to
make the part. The companys opportunity
cost is measured by the benefits that
could be derived from the best alternative
use of the facilities.
12-11 Any resource that is required to
make products and get them into the
hands of customers could be a constraint.
Some examples are machine time, direct
labor time, floor space, raw materials,
investment capital, supervisory time, and
storage space. While not covered in the
text, constraints can also be intangible
and often take the form of a formal or
informal policy that prevents the
organization from furthering its goals.
12-12 Assuming that fixed costs are not
affected, profits are maximized when the
total contribution margin is maximized. A
company can maximize its total
contribution margin by focusing on the
products with the greatest amount of
contribution margin per unit of the
constrained resource.
12-13 Joint products are two or more
products that are produced from a
common input. Joint costs are the costs
that are incurred up to the split-off point.
The split-off point is the point in the
manufacturing process where joint
products can be recognized as individual
products.
12-14 Joint costs should not be allocated
among joint products for decision-making
purposes. If joint costs are allocated
among the joint products, then managers
may think they are avoidable costs of the
end products. However, the joint costs will
continue to be incurred as long as the
process is run regardless of what is done
with one of the end products. Thus, when
making decisions about the end products,

640
the joint costs are not avoidable and are

irrelevant.
12-15 If the incremental revenue from
further processing exceeds the
incremental costs of further processing,
the product should be processed further.
12-16 Most costs of a flight are either
sunk costs, or costs that do not depend on
the number of passengers on the flight.

Depreciation of the aircraft, salaries of
personnel on the ground and in the air,
and fuel costs, for example, are the same
whether the flight is full or almost empty.
Therefore, adding more passengers at
reduced fares when seats would otherwise
be empty does little to increase the total
costs of operating the flight, but increases
the total contribution and total profit.

641
Exercise 12-1 (15 minutes)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
Case 1
Not
Releva Releva
Item
nt
nt
Sales revenue.............
X
Direct materials..........
X
Direct labor.................
X
Variable
manufacturing
overhead..................
X
Book valueModel
A3000 machine........
X
Disposal value
Model A3000
machine...................
X
DepreciationModel
A3000 machine........
X
Market valueModel
B3800 machine
(cost)........................
X
Fixed manufacturing
overhead..................
X
Variable selling
expense...................
X
Fixed selling expense..
X
General
administrative
overhead..................
X
Case 2
Not
Relevan Relevan
t
t
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

642
Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

1. No, the housekeeping program should not be discontinued. It is
actually generating a positive program segment margin and is,
of course, providing a valuable service to seniors.
Computations to support this conclusion follow:
Contribution margin lost if the
housekeeping program is dropped..............
Fixed costs that can be avoided:
$(80,000)
$15,00
Liability insurance.......................................
0
Program administrators salary................... 37,000
52,000
Decrease in net operating income for the
organization as a whole..............................
$(28,000)
Depreciation on the van is a sunk cost and the van has no
salvage value since it would be donated to another
organization. The general administrative overhead is allocated
and none of it would be avoided if the program were dropped;
thus it is not relevant to the decision.
The same result can be obtained with the alternative analysis
below:
Difference:
Total If
Net
HouseOperating
keeping
Income
Is
Increase or
Dropped (Decrease)
Current
Total
$900,00
Revenues................................
0 $660,000
Variable expenses................... 490,000 330,000
Contribution margin................ 410,000 330,000
Fixed expenses:
Depreciation*....................... 68,000
68,000
Liability insurance................. 42,000
27,000
Program administrators
salaries.............................. 115,000
78,000
General administrative
overhead............................ 180,000 180,000
$(240,000)
160,000
(80,000)
0
15,000
37,000
0

643
Total fixed expenses................ 405,000 353,000

52,000
Net operating income (loss).... $ 5,000 $(23,000) $ (28,000)
*Includes pro-rated loss on disposal of the van if it is donated to
a charity.

644
Exercise 12-2 (continued)

2. To give the administrator of the entire organization a clearer
picture of the financial viability of each of the organizations
programs, the general administrative overhead should not be
allocated. It is a common cost that should be deducted from
the total program segment margin. Following the format
introduced in an earlier chapter for a segmented income
statement, a better income statement would be:
Total
$900,00
Revenues........................
0
Variable expenses........... 490,000
Contribution margin........ 410,000
Traceable fixed expenses:
Depreciation................. 68,000
Liability insurance......... 42,000
Program administrators
salaries...................... 115,000
Total traceable fixed
expenses...................... 225,000
Program segment
margins........................ 185,000
overhead...................... 180,000
Net operating income
(loss)............................ $5,000
Home
Nursing
$260,00
0
120,000
140,000
Meals
on
Wheels
$400,00
0
210,000
190,000
Housekeeping
$240,00
0
160,000
80,000
8,000
20,000
40,000
7,000
20,000
15,000
40,000
38,000
37,000
68,000 85,000 72,000

$ $105,00
72,000
0 $8,000

645

1.
Per Unit
Differential
Costs
Mak
e
Buy
Cost of purchasing..................
Direct materials......................
Direct labor.............................
Variable manufacturing
overhead..............................
Fixed manufacturing
overhead, traceable1............
Fixed manufacturing
overhead, common...............
$20
$6
8
1
15,000
30,000
0
Total costs............................... $17
$20
Make
$
90,000
120,000
Difference in favor of
continuing to make the
parts.....................................
15,000 units
Buy
$300,00
0
0
0
$255,00 $300,00
0
0
$3
$45,000
Only the supervisory salaries can be avoided if the parts are

purchased. The remaining book value of the special
equipment is a sunk cost; hence, the $3 per unit
depreciation expense is not relevant to this decision.
Based on these data, the company should reject the offer and
should continue to produce the parts internally.
Make
2.
Buy
$300,00
0
Cost of purchasing (part 1)...................

Cost of making (part 1)......................... $255,000
Opportunity costsegment margin
forgone on a potential new product
line.....................................................
65,000
Total cost............................................... $320,000 $300,00
646
0
Difference in favor of purchasing from
the outside supplier............................
$20,000
Thus, the company should accept the offer and purchase the
parts from the outside supplier.

647

Only the incremental costs and benefits are relevant. In particular,
only the variable manufacturing overhead and the cost of the
special tool are relevant overhead costs in this situation. The
other manufacturing overhead costs are fixed and are not
affected by the decision.
Per
Unit
Incremental revenue.......................
Incremental costs:
Variable costs:
Direct materials.........................
Direct labor................................
overhead.................................
Special filigree...........................
Total variable cost.........................
Fixed costs:
Purchase of special tool..............
Total incremental cost.....................
Incremental net operating income. .
$349.95
Total
10
bracelets
$3,499.50
143.00
86.00
7.00
1,430.00
860.00
70.00
6.00
$242.00
60.00
2,420.00
465.00
2,885.00
$ 614.50
Even though the price for the special order is below the
company's regular price for such an item, the special order would
add to the company's net operating income and should be
accepted. This conclusion would not necessarily follow if the
special order affected the regular selling price of bracelets or if it
required the use of a constrained resource.

648

1. The most profitable use of the constrained resource is
determined by the contribution margin per unit of the
constrained resource. In part 1, the constrained resource is
time on the plastic injection molding machine. Therefore, the
analysis would proceed as follows:
Selling price per unit.............

Variable cost per unit............
Contribution margin per unit
(a)......................................
Plastic injection molding
machine processing time
required to produce one
unit (b)...............................
of the constrained resource
(a) (b).............................
Ski
Vault
$220
60
$160
Golf
Caddy
$300
120
$180
Fishing
Quiver
$175
55
$120
4
minutes
5
minutes
2
minutes
$40 per
minute
$36 per
minute
$60 per
minute
Production of the Fishing Quiver product would be the most

profitable use of the constrained resource which is, in this case,
time on the plastic injection molding machine. The contribution
margin per minute is $60 for this product, which is larger than
for the other two products.
2. In this part, the constraint is the available pounds of plastic
pellets.

(a)......................................
Pounds of plastic pellets
unit (b)...............................
Ski
Vault
$220
60
$160
5
pounds
$32 per
pound
Golf
Caddy
$300
120
$180
Fishing
Quiver
$175
55
$120
6 pounds
$30 per
pound
5
pounds
$24 per
pound

649
(a) (b).............................
In this case, production of the Ski Vault would be the most
profitable use of the constrained resource. The contribution
margin per unit of the constrained resource for this product is
$32, which is larger than for the other two products.

650

3. The Golf Caddy product has the largest unit contribution
margin, but it is not the most profitable use of the constrained
resource in either case above. This happens because the Golf
Caddy uses more of the constrained resources in proportion to
its contribution margin than the other two products. In other
words, more of the other products can be produced for a given
amount of the constrained resource and this more than makes
up for their lower contribution margins.

651

1. The value of relaxing the constraint can be determined by
computing the contribution margin per unit of the constrained
resource:
Selling price per unit............................................

Variable cost per unit...........................................
Contribution margin per unit (a)..........................
Upholstery shop time required to produce one
unit (b)..............................................................
Contribution margin per unit of the constrained
resource (a) (b)..............................................
Leather
Library
Chair
$1,800
1,200
$ 600
12 hours
$50 per
hour
The company should be willing to pay up to $50 per hour to

keep the upholstery shop open after normal working hours.
2. To answer this question, it is desirable to compute the
contribution margin per unit of the constrained resource for all
three products:

(a)......................................
Upholstery shop time
unit (b)...............................
(a) (b).............................
Gainsborough
Armchai
r
$1,300
800
$ 500
Leathe
r
Library
Chair
$1,800
1,200
$ 600
Chippe
n-dale
Fabric
Armcha
ir
$1,400
1,000
$ 400
8 hours
12
hours
5 hours
$62.50
per hour
$50.00
per
hour
$80.00
per hour

652
The offer to upholster chairs for $45 per hour should be

accepted. The time would be used to upholster Chippendale
Fabric Armchairs. If this increases the total production and
sales of those chairs, the time would be worth $80 per houra
net gain of $35 per hour. If Chippendale Fabric Armchairs are
already being produced up to demand, then having these
chairs upholstered in the other company would free up capacity
to produce more of the other two chairs. In both cases, the
additional time is worth more than $45 per hour.
Sales value after further

processing................................
Sales value at split-off point........
Incremental revenue...................
Cost of further processing...........
Incremental profit (loss)..............
Product
X
Product
Y
$80,000 $150,000
50,000
90,000
30,000
60,000
35,000
40,000
$(5,000)
20,000
Product
Z
$75,000
60,000
15,000
12,000
3,000
Products Y and Z should be processed further, but not Product

X.

653

Merifulon should be processed further:
Sales value after further processing......... $60,000
Sales value at the split-off point............... 40,000
Incremental revenue from further
processing.............................................. 20,000
Cost of further processing......................... 13,000
Profit from further processing................... $7,000
The $10,000 in allocated common costs (1/3 $30,000) will be
the same regardless of which alternative is selected, and hence is
not relevant to the decision.

654

The company should accept orders first for Product Z, second for
Product X, and third for Product Y. The computations are:
(a) Direct materials required per

unit..........................................
(b) Cost per pound..........................
(c) Pounds required per unit (a)
(b)...........................................
(d) Contribution margin per unit......
Contribution margin per pound
of materials used (d) (c)......
Product Product Product

X
Y
Z
$24.00 $15.00
$3.00
$3.00
$9.00
$3.00
8
5
$32.00 $14.00
3
$21.00
$4.00
$2.80
$7.00
Because Product Z uses the least amount of material per unit of

the three products, and because it is the most profitable of the
three in terms of its use of this constrained resource, some
students will immediately assume that this is an infallible
relationship. That is, they will assume that the way to spot the
most profitable product is to find the one using the least amount
of the constrained resource. The way to dispel this notion is to
point out that Product X uses
more material (the constrained

resource) than does Product Y, but yet it is preferred over Product
Y. The key factor is not how much of a constrained resource a
product uses, but rather how much contribution margin the
product generates per unit of the constrained resource.

655

No, the overnight cases should not be discontinued. The
computations are:
Contribution margin lost if the cases are
discontinued...........................................
Less fixed costs that can be avoided if
the cases are discontinued:
$
Salary of the product line manager...... 21,000
Advertising........................................... 110,000
Insurance on inventories......................
9,000
Net disadvantage of dropping the cases...
$(260,000
)
140,000
$(120,000
)
The same solution can be obtained by preparing comparative

income statements:
Difference:
Net
Operating
Keep
Drop
Income
Overnig Overnigh Increase or
ht Cases t Cases
(Decrease)
Sales........................................ $450,000 $
0 $(450,000)
Variable expenses:
expenses............................. 130,000
0
130,000
Sales commissions................. 48,000
0
48,000
Shipping................................. 12,000
0
12,000
Total variable expenses............ 190,000
0
190,000
Contribution margin................. 260,000
0
(260,000)
Fixed expenses:
Salary of line manager........... 21,000
0
21,000
General factory overhead...... 104,000 104,000
0
Depreciation of equipment. . . . 36,000
36,000
0
Advertisingtraceable........... 110,000
0
110,000
Insurance on inventories........
9,000
0
9,000
Purchasing department.......... 50,000
50,000
0
Total fixed expenses................. 330,000 190,000
140,000
656
$ (70,000 $(190,000
Net operating loss....................
)
)
$(120,000)

657

Fixed cost per mile ($3,500* 10,000
1. miles)...................................................
Variable operating cost per mile.............
Average cost per mile.............................
$0.35
0.08
$0.43
* Depreciation........................ $2,000
Insurance.............................
960
Garage rent.........................
480
Automobile tax and license.
60
Total..................................... $3,500
2. The variable operating costs would be relevant in this situation.
The depreciation would not be relevant since it relates to a
sunk cost. However, any decrease in the resale value of the car
due to its use would be relevant. The automobile tax and
license costs would be incurred whether Samantha decides to
drive her own car or rent a car for the trip during spring break
and are therefore irrelevant. It is unlikely that her insurance
costs would increase as a result of the trip, so they are
irrelevant as well. The garage rent is relevant only if she could
avoid paying part of it if she drives her own car.
3. When figuring the incremental cost of the more expensive car,
the relevant costs would be the purchase price of the new car
(net of the resale value of the old car) and the increases in the
fixed costs of insurance and automobile tax and license. The
original purchase price of the old car is a sunk cost and is
therefore irrelevant. The variable operating costs would be the
same and therefore are irrelevant. (Students are inclined to
think that variable costs are always relevant and fixed costs are
always irrelevant in decisions. This requirement helps to dispel
that notion.)

658

The costs that can be avoided as a result of purchasing from the
outside are relevant in a make-or-buy decision. The analysis is:
Per Unit
Differential
Costs
20,000 Units
Make
Buy
Make
Buy
$23.5
$470,00
Cost of purchasing..................
0
0
Cost of making:
$
$
Direct materials.................... 4.80
96,000
Direct labor........................... 7.00
140,000
overhead............................ 3.20
64,000
Fixed manufacturing
overhead............................ 4.00 *
80,000
$19.0 $23.5 $380,00 $470,00
Total cost..............................
0
0
0
0
* The remaining $6 of fixed manufacturing overhead cost
would not be relevant because it will continue
regardless of whether the company makes or buys the
parts.
The $150,000 rental value of the space being used to produce
part R-3 is an opportunity cost of continuing to produce the part
internally. Thus, the complete analysis is:
Make
Buy
$470,00
Total cost, as above..................................... $380,000
0
Rental value of the space (opportunity
cost)......................................................... 150,000
$470,00
Total cost, including opportunity cost.......... $530,000
0
Net advantage in favor of buying................
$60,000

659
Profits would increase by $60,000 if the outside suppliers offer is

accepted.

660

1.
A
$18
$12
8
1.5
B
$36
$32
8
4.0
C
$20
$16
8
2.0
(1) Contribution margin per unit..........................

(2) Direct labor cost per unit...............................
(3) Direct labor rate per hour..............................
(4) Direct labor-hours required per unit (2) (3).
Contribution margin per direct labor-hour (1)
(4)............................................................ $12 $9 $10
2. The company should concentrate its labor time on producing

product A:
Contribution margin per direct laborhour..................................................
$12
$9
$10
3,00 3,00 3,00
Direct labor-hours available................
0
0
0
$36,00 $27,00 $30,00
Total contribution margin....................
0
0
0
Although product A has the lowest contribution margin per unit
and the second lowest contribution margin ratio, it has the
highest contribution margin per direct labor-hour. Since labor
time seems to be the companys constraint, this measure
should guide management in its production decisions.
3. The amount Banner Company should be willing to pay in
overtime wages for additional direct labor time depends on
how the time would be used. If there are unfilled orders for all
of the products, Banner would presumably use the additional
time to make more of product A. Each hour of direct labor time
generates $12 of contribution margin over and above the usual
direct labor cost. Therefore, Banner should be willing to pay up
to $20 per hour (the $8 usual wage plus the contribution
margin per hour of $12) for additional labor time, but would of
course prefer to pay far less. The upper limit of $20 per direct
labor hour signals to managers how valuable additional labor
hours are to the company.

661

If all the demand for product A has been satisfied, Banner
Company would then use any additional direct labor-hours to
manufacture product C. In that case, the company should be
willing to pay up to $18 per hour (the $8 usual wage plus the
$10 contribution margin per hour for product C) to manufacture
more product C.
Likewise, if all the demand for both products A and C has been
satisfied, additional labor hours would be used to make product
B. In that case, the company should be willing to pay up to $17
per hour to manufacture more product B.

662

1. Monthly profits would increase by $9,000:
Total for
2,000
Per Unit
Units
Incremental revenue................................ $12.00 $24,000
Incremental costs:
Variable costs:
Direct materials...................................
2.50
5,000
Direct labor..........................................
3.00
6,000
Variable manufacturing overhead........
0.50
1,000
Variable selling and administrative......
1.50
3,000
Total variable cost..................................
$ 7.50
15,000
Fixed costs:
None affected by the special order......
0
Total incremental cost..............................
15,000
Incremental net operating income............
$9,000
2. The relevant cost is $1.50 (the variable selling and
administrative costs). All other variable costs are sunk because
the units have already been produced. The fixed costs are not
relevant because they would not be affected by the sale of
leftover units.

663

Contribution margin lost if the Bath Department is
dropped:
Lost from the Bath Department.............................. $700,000
Lost from the Kitchen Department (10%
$2,400,000)..........................................................
240,000
Total lost contribution margin....................................
940,000
Less avoidable fixed costs ($900,000 $370,000)....
530,000
Decrease in overall net operating income................. $410,000

664

Item
Direct materials (60,000 @ $4.00)......
Direct labor (60,000 @ $2.75).............
Variable manufacturing overhead
(60,000 @ $0.50)..............................
Fixed manufacturing overhead,
traceable
(1/3 of $180,000)..............................
Cost of purchasing from outside
supplier
(60,000 @ $10).................................
Total cost.............................................
Relevant Costs
Make
Buy
$240,00
0
165,000
30,000
60,000
$600,00
0
$495,00 $600,00
0
0
The two-thirds of the traceable fixed manufacturing overhead

costs that cannot be eliminated, and all of the common fixed
manufacturing overhead costs, are irrelevant.
The company would save $105,000 per year by continuing to
make the parts itself. In other words, profits would decline by
$105,000 per year if the parts were purchased from the outside
supplier.

665

1. The relevant costs of a fishing trip would be:
Fuel and upkeep on boat per
trip..........................................
Junk food consumed during
trip*........................................
Snagged fishing lures................
Total..........................................
$25
8
7
$40
* The junk food consumed during the trip may not be

completely relevant. Even if Steve were not going on
the trip, he would still have to eat. The amount by which
the cost of the junk food exceeds the cost of the food he
would otherwise consume would be the relevant
amount.
The other costs are sunk at the point at which the decision is
made to go on another fishing trip.
2. If he fishes for the same amount of time as he did on his last
trip, all of his costs are likely to be about the same as they
were on his last trip. Therefore, it really doesnt cost him
anything to catch the last fish. The costs are really incurred in
order to be able to catch fish and would be the same whether
one, two, three, or a dozen fish were actually caught. Fishing,
not catching fish, costs money. All of the costs are basically
fixed with respect to how many fish are actually caught during
any one fishing trip, except possibly the cost of snagged lures.
3. In a decision of whether to give up fishing altogether, nearly all
of the costs listed by Steves wife are relevant. If he did not
fish, he would not need to pay for boat storage, new fishing
gear, a fishing license, fuel and upkeep, junk food, or snagged
lures. In addition, he would be able to sell his boat, the
proceeds of which would be considered relevant in this
decision. The original cost of the boat, which is a sunk cost,
would not be relevant.
666

These three requirements illustrate the slippery nature of costs.
A cost that is relevant in one situation can be irrelevant in the
next. None of the costs are relevant when we compute the cost
of catching a particular fish; some of them are relevant when
we compute the cost of a fishing trip; and nearly all of them are
relevant when we consider the cost of not giving up fishing.
What is even more confusing is that Wendy is correct; the
average cost of a salmon is $167, even though the cost of
actually catching any one fish is essentially zero. It may not
make sense from an economic standpoint to have salmon
fishing as a hobby, but as long as Steve is out in the boat
fishing, he might as well catch as many fish as he can.

667
Problem 12-18 (30 minutes)

Contribution margin lost if the tour is
1. discontinued.................................................
Less tour costs that can be avoided if the
tour is discontinued:
Tour promotion...........................................
Fee, tour guide...........................................
Fuel for bus................................................
Overnight parking fee, bus.........................
Room & meals, bus driver and tour guide. .
Net decrease in profits if the tour is
discontinued.................................................
$(2,100)
$600
700
125
50
175
1,650
$ (450)
The following costs are not relevant to the decision:

Cost
Salary of bus driver
Depreciation of bus
Liability insurance, bus

Bus maintenance &
preparation
Reason
The drivers are all on salary and
there would be no change in the
number of drivers on the payroll.
Depreciation due to wear and tear
is negligible and there would be no
change in the number of buses in
the fleet.
There would be no change in the
number of buses in the fleet.
There would be no change in the
size of the maintenance &
preparation staff.

668
Problem 12-18 (continued)

Alternative Solution:
Keep
the
Tour
Ticket revenue............................
Less variable expenses...............
Contribution margin....................
Less tour expenses:
Tour promotion.........................
Salary of bus driver..................
Fee, tour guide.........................
Fuel for bus...............................
Depreciation of bus..................
Liability insurance, bus.............
Overnight parking fee, bus.......
Room & meals, bus driver and
tour guide..............................
Bus maintenance and
preparation............................
Total tour expenses.....................
Net operating loss.......................
Difference
: Net
Operating
Income
Increase
or
(Decrease)
Drop
the
Tour
$3,000 $
900
2,100
0
0
0
$(3,000)
900
(2,100)
600
350
700
125
450
200
50
0
350
0
0
450
200
0
600
0
700
125
0
0
50
175
175
300
300
2,950
1,300
$(850) $(1,300)
0
1,650
$ (450)
2. The goal of increasing average seat occupancy could be

accomplished by dropping tours like the Historic Mansions tour
with lower-than-average seat occupancies. This could reduce
profits in at least two ways. First, the tours that are eliminated
could have contribution margins that exceed their avoidable
costs (such as in the case of the Historic Mansions tour in
part 1). If so, then eliminating these tours would reduce the
companys total contribution margin more than it would reduce
total costs, and profits would decline. Second, these tours
might be acting as magnets that draw tourists to other, more
profitable tours.
669

1.
Revenue from further processing:
Selling price of one filet mignon (6 ounces
$3.60 per pound/16 ounces per pound).........
Selling price of one New York cut (8 ounces
$2.90 per pound/16 ounces per pound).........
Total revenue from further processing.................
Less revenue from one T-bone steak...................
Incremental revenue from further processing.....
Less cost of further processing............................
Profit per pound from further processing............
Per 16Ounce TBone

$1.35
1.45
2.80
2.25
0.55
0.20
$0.35
2. The T-bone steaks should be processed further into filet mignon

and the New York cuts. This will yield $0.35 per pound in added
profit for the company. The $0.55 profit per pound for T-bone
steak mentioned in the problem statement is not relevant to
the decision because it contains allocated joint costs. The
company will incur the allocated joint costs regardless of
whether the T-bone steaks are sold outright or processed
further; thus, this cost should be ignored in the decision.

670

1. Product MJ-7 has a contribution margin of $14 per gallon ($35
$21 = $14). If the plant closes, this contribution margin will be
lost on the 22,000 gallons (11,000 gallons per month 2 =
22,000 gallons) that could have been sold during the twomonth period. However, the company will be able to avoid
some fixed costs as a result of closing down. The analysis is:
Contribution margin lost by closing the
plant for two months ($14 per gallon
22,000 gallons).........................................
$(308,000)
Costs avoided by closing the plant for two
months:
Fixed manufacturing overhead cost
$120,00
($60,000 2 months = $120,000)........
0
Fixed selling costs
62,00
($310,000 10% 2 months)..............
0 182,000
Net disadvantage of closing, before startup costs....................................................
(126,000)
Add start-up costs.......................................
(14,000)
Disadvantage of closing the plant...............
$(140,000)
No, the company should not close the plant; it should continue
to operate at the reduced level of 11,000 gallons produced and
sold each month. Closing will result in a $140,000 greater loss
over the two-month period than if the company continues to
operate. Additional factors are the potential loss of goodwill
among the customers who need the 11,000 gallons of MJ-7
each month and the adverse effect on employee morale. By
closing down, the needs of customers will not be met (no
inventories are on hand), and their business may be
permanently lost to another supplier.

671

Alternative Solution:
Plant Kept
Open
Plant
Closed
Difference
Net
Operating
Income
Increase
(Decrease)
Sales (11,000 gallons $35 per

gallon 2).............................. $ 770,000 $
0 $(770,000)
Less variable expenses (11,000
gallons $21 per gallon 2).
462,000
0
462,000
Contribution margin..................
308,000
0
(308,000)
Less fixed costs:
Fixed manufacturing overhead
cost ($230,000 2;
$170,000 2).....................
460,000 340,000
120,000
Fixed selling cost ($310,000
2; $310,000 90% 2)......
620,000 558,000
62,000
Total fixed cost.......................... 1,080,000 898,000
182,000
Net operating loss before startup costs..................................
(772,000) (898,000) (126,000)
(14,000
Start-up costs............................
)
(14,000)
$ (772,000 $(912,00
Net operating loss.....................
)
0) $(140,000)

672

2. Ignoring the additional factors cited in part (1) above, Hallas
Company should be indifferent between closing down or
continuing to operate if the level of sales drops to 12,000
gallons (6,000 gallons per month) over the two-month period.
The computations are:
Cost avoided by closing the plant for two
months (see above)...................................... $182,000
Less start-up costs..........................................
14,000
Net avoidable costs......................................... $168,000
Net avoidable costs
$168,000
=
Contribution margin per gallon $14 per gallon
=12,000 gallons
Verification:
Sales (12,000 gallons $35 per gallon)

Less variable expenses (12,000 gallons
$21 per gallon)................................
Contribution margin..............................
Less fixed expenses:
Manufacturing overhead ($230,000
and $170,000 2 months)..............
Selling ($310,000 and $279,000 2
months)............................................
Total fixed expenses..............................
Start-up costs........................................
Total costs.............................................
Net operating loss.................................
Operate at
12,000
Gallons for
Two
Months
$ 420,000
Close for
Two
Months
$
0
252,000
168,000
0
0
460,000
340,000
620,000
558,000
1,080,000
898,000
0
14,000
1,080,000
912,000
$ (912,000) $(912,000)

673

1. Incremental revenue:
Fixed fee (10,000 pairs 4 per pair)......
Reimbursement for costs of production:
(Variable production cost of 16 plus
fixed overhead cost of 5 equals 21
per pair; 10,000 pairs 21 per pair)....
Total incremental revenue........................
Incremental costs:
Variable production costs (10,000 pairs
16 per pair)..........................................
Increase in net operating income................
40,000
210,000
250,000
160,000
90,000
2. Sales revenue through regular channels

(10,000 pairs 32 per pair)*.................. 320,000
Sales revenue from the army (above)......... 250,000
Decrease in revenue received.....................
70,000
Less variable selling expenses avoided if
the armys offer is accepted (10,000 pairs
2 per pair)...........................................
20,000
Net decrease in net operating income with
the armys offer........................................ 50,000
*This assumes that the sales through regular channels can be
recovered after the special order has been fulfilled. This may
not happen if regular customers who are turned away to fill the
special order are permanently lost to competitors.

674

1. The fixed overhead costs are common and will remain the
same regardless of whether the cartridges are produced
internally or purchased outside. Hence, they are not relevant.
The variable manufacturing overhead cost per box of pens is
$0.30, as shown below:
Total manufacturing overhead cost per box of
pens...............................................................
Less fixed manufacturing overhead ($50,000
100,000 boxes)...............................................
Variable manufacturing overhead cost per box.
$0.80
0.50
$0.30
The total variable cost of producing one box of Zippo pens is:
Direct materials................................................
Direct labor.......................................................
Variable manufacturing overhead.....................
Total variable cost per box................................
$1.50
1.00
0.30
$2.80
If the cartridges for the Zippo pens are purchased from the
outside supplier, then the variable cost per box of Zippo pens
would be:
Direct materials ($1.50 80%)........................
Direct labor ($1.00 90%)...............................
Variable manufacturing overhead ($0.30
90%)...............................................................
Purchase of cartridges......................................
Total variable cost per box................................
$1.20
0.90
0.27
0.48
$2.85
The company should reject the outside suppliers offer.

Producing the cartridges internally costs $0.05 less per box of
pens than purchasing them from the supplier.
Another approach to the solution is:
Cost avoided by purchasing the cartridges:
Direct materials ($1.50 20%)......................
Direct labor ($1.00 10%).............................
Variable manufacturing overhead ($0.30
10%)............................................................
$0.30
0.10
0.03

675
Total costs avoided.........................................
$0.43
Cost of purchasing the cartridges.....................
$0.48
Cost savings per box by making cartridges

internally........................................................
$0.05
Note that the avoidable cost of $0.43 above represents the

cost of making one box of cartridges internally.

676

2. The company would not want to pay any more than $0.43 per
box because it can make the cartridges for this amount
internally.
3. The company has three alternatives for obtaining the
necessary cartridges. It can:
#1
#2
#3
Produce all cartridges internally.

Purchase all cartridges externally.
Produce the cartridges for 100,000 boxes internally and
purchase the cartridges for 50,000 boxes externally.
The costs under the three alternatives are:

Alternative #1Produce all cartridges internally:
Variable costs (150,000 boxes $0.43 per box).
Fixed costs of adding capacity............................
Total cost............................................................
$64,500
30,000
$94,500
Alternative #2Purchase all cartridges

externally:
Variable costs (150,000 boxes $0.48 per box). .
$72,000
Alternative #3Produce 100,000 boxes

internally, and purchase 50,000 boxes
externally:
Variable costs:
100,000 boxes $0.43 per box.....................
50,000 boxes $0.48 per box.......................
Total cost..........................................................
$43,000
24,000
$67,000

677

Or, in terms of total cost per box of pens, the answer would be:
Alternative #1Produce all cartridges internally:
Variable costs (150,000 boxes $2.80 per box). $420,000
Fixed costs of adding capacity............................
30,000
Total cost............................................................ $450,000
Alternative #2Purchase all cartridges
externally:
Variable costs (150,000 boxes $2.85 per box). $427,500
Alternative #3Produce the cartridges for
100,000 boxes internally, and purchase the
cartridges for 50,000 boxes externally:
Variable costs:
100,000 boxes $2.80 per box.................... $280,000
50,000 boxes $2.85 per box...................... 142,500
Total cost.......................................................... $422,500
Thus, the company should accept the outside suppliers offer,
but only for the cartridges for 50,000 boxes.
4. In addition to cost considerations, Bronson should take into
account the following factors:
a) The ability of the supplier to meet required delivery
schedules.
b) The quality of the cartridges purchased from the supplier.
c) Alternative uses of the capacity that is used to make the
cartridges.
d) The ability of the supplier to supply cartridges if volume
increases in future years.
e) The problem of alternative sources of supply if the supplier
proves undependable.

678

1. The simplest approach to the solution is:
Gross margin lost if the store is closed
$(228,000)
Less costs that can be avoided:
Direct advertising............................. $36,000
Sales salaries.................................... 45,000
Delivery salaries...............................
7,000
Store rent......................................... 65,000
Store management salaries (new
employee would not be hired to fill
vacant position at another store). . . 15,000
General office salaries......................
8,000
Utilities............................................. 27,200
Insurance on inventories (2/3
$9,000)...........................................
6,000
Employment taxes*..........................
9,000 218,200
Decrease in company net operating
income if the Downtown Store is
closed...............................................
$ (9,800)
*Salaries avoided by closing the store:
Sales salaries.................................................
Delivery salaries.............................................
Store management salaries............................
General office salaries....................................
Total salaries..................................................
Employment tax rate......................................
Employment taxes avoided............................
$45,000
7,000
15,000
8,000
75,000
12%
$9,000
2. The Downtown Store should not be closed. If the store is

closed, overall company net operating income will decrease by
$9,800 per quarter.

679

3. The Downtown Store should be closed if $200,000 of its sales
are picked up by the Uptown Store. The net effect of the
closure will be an increase in overall company net operating
income by $76,200 per quarter:
$(228,000
Gross margin lost if the Downtown Store is closed....
)
Gross margin gained at the Uptown Store:
$200,000 43%.....................................................
86,000
Net loss in gross margin............................................ (142,000)
Costs that can be avoided if the Downtown Store is
closed (part 1)........................................................ 218,200
Net advantage of closing the Downtown Store.......... $ 76,200

680

1. Selling price per unit.................
Variable expenses per unit*......
Contribution margin per unit.....
$40
24
$16
*$9.50 + $10.00 + $2.80 + $1.70 = $24.00

Increased unit sales (80,000 25%).............
20,000
Contribution margin per unit......................... $16
Incremental contribution margin................... $320,000
Less added fixed selling expense.................. 150,000
Incremental net operating income................ $170,000
Yes, the increase in fixed selling expense would be justified.
2. Variable production cost per unit.................. $22.30
Import duties, etc. ($14,000 20,000
units)..........................................................
0.70
Shipping cost per unit...................................
1.50
Break-even price per unit.............................. $24.50
3. If the plant operates at 25% of normal levels, then only 5,000
units will be produced and sold during the three-month period:
80,000 units per year 3/12 = 20,000 units.
20,000 units 25% = 5,000 units produced and sold.
Given this information, the simplest approach to the solution is:
Contribution margin lost if the plant is
$(80,000
closed (5,000 units $16 per unit*).......
)
Fixed costs that can be avoided if the plant is closed:
Fixed manufacturing overhead cost
($400,000 3/12 = $100,000;
$100,000 40%).............................. $40,000
Fixed selling cost ($360,000 3/12 =
$90,000; $90,000 1/3)....................
30,000 70,000
$(10,000
Net disadvantage of closing the plant.......
)
681
*$40.00 ($9.50 + $10.00 + $2.80 + $1.70) = $16.00

Profits would decline by $10,000 if the plant is closed.

682

Alternative approach:
Sales (5,000 units $40 per unit). .

Variable expenses
(5,000 units $24 per unit).........
Contribution margin........................
Fixed expenses:
Fixed manufacturing overhead
cost:
$400,000 3/12........................
$400,000 3/12 60%.............
Fixed selling expense:
$360,000 3/12........................
$360,000 3/12 2/3...............
Total fixed expenses........................
Keep the
Plant
Close the
Open
Plant
$ 200,000 $
0
120,000
80,000
100,000
0
0
60,000
90,000
60,000
190,000 120,000
$(120,000
Net operating income (loss)............ $(110,000)
)
4. The relevant cost is $1.70 per unit, which is the variable selling
expense per Zet. Since the blemished units have already been
produced, all production costs (including the variable
production costs) are sunk. The fixed selling expenses are not
relevant since they will remain the same regardless of whether
or not the blemished units are sold. The variable selling
expense may or may not be relevantdepending on how the
blemished units are sold. For example, the units may be sold
through a liquidator without incurring the normal variable
selling expense.
5. The costs that can be avoided by purchasing from the outside
supplier are relevant. These costs are:
Variable production costs......................................
Fixed manufacturing overhead cost ($400,000
70% = $280,000; $280,000 80,000 units).......
Variable selling expense ($1.70 60%)................
$22.30
3.50
1.02

683
Total avoidable cost...............................................
$26.82
To be acceptable, the outside manufacturers quotation must

be less than $26.82 per unit.

684

1. The $2.00 per unit general overhead cost is not relevant to the
decision because the total general company overhead cost will
be the same regardless of whether the company decides to
make or buy the subassemblies. Also, the depreciation on the
old equipment is not a relevant cost because it represents a
sunk cost and the old equipment is worn out and must be
replaced. The cost of supervision is relevant because this cost
can be avoided by buying the subassemblies.
Differential
Costs Per Unit
Make
Buy
Outside suppliers price. .
$8.00
Direct materials..............
Direct labor ($4.00
0.75).............................
Variable overhead
($0.60 0.75).............
Supervision.....................
Equipment rental*...........
$2.75
Total................................
$8.45 $8.00
buying
Total Differential
Costs for
40,000 Units
Make
Buy
$320,00
0
$110,00
0
3.00
120,000
0.45
0.75
1.50
18,000
30,000
60,000
$338,00 $320,00
0
0
$0.45
$18,000
* $60,000 per year 40,000 units per year = $1.50 per

unit

685

2. a. Note that unit costs for both supervision and equipment
rental will change if the company needs 50,000
subassemblies each year. These fixed costs will be spread
over a larger number of units, thereby decreasing the cost
per unit.
Differential
Costs Per
Unit
Make Buy
Outside suppliers price. . . .
Direct materials................
Direct labor.......................
Variable overhead.............
Supervision
($30,000 50,000 units)
Equipment rental
($60,000 50,000 units)
Total..................................
Difference.........................
$2.75
3.00
0.45
$8.00
Total Differential
Costs50,000
Units
Make
Buy
$400,00
0
$137,500
150,000
22,500
0.60
30,000
1.20
60,000
$8.00 $8.00
$0
$400,000
$400,00
0
$0
The company would be indifferent between the two alternatives

if 50,000 subassemblies were needed each year.

686

b. Again, notice that the unit costs for both supervision and
equipment rental decrease with the greater volume of units.
Differential
Total Differential
Costs Per
Costs60,000
Unit
Units
Mak
e
Buy
Make
Buy
$8.0
Outside suppliers price. . . .
0
$480,000
$2.7
$165,00
Direct materials................
5
0
Direct labor....................... 3.00
180,000
Variable overhead............. 0.45
27,000
Supervision
($30,000 60,000 units) 0.50
30,000
Equipment rental
60,00
($60,000 60,000 units) 1.00
0
$7.7 $8.0 $462,00
Total..................................
0
0
0 $480,000
making
$0.3
0
$18,000
The company should rent the new equipment and make the
subassemblies if 60,000 units per year are needed.

687

3. Other factors that the company should consider include:
a. Will volume in future years increase, or will it remain
constant at 40,000 units per year? (If volume increases, then
renting the new equipment becomes more desirable, as
shown in the computations above.)
b. Can quality control be maintained if the subassemblies are
purchased from the outside supplier?
c. Does the company have some other profitable use for the
space now being used to produce the subassemblies? Does
production of the subassemblies require use of a constrained
resource?
d. Will the outside supplier dependably meet shipping
schedules?
e. Can the company begin making the subassemblies again if
the supplier proves to be undependable? Are there
alternative suppliers?
f. If the outside suppliers offer is accepted and the need for
subassemblies increases in future years, will the supplier
have the capacity to provide more than 40,000
subassemblies per year?
g. Will the rental cost of the equipment change in the future?

688

1. Only the avoidable costs are relevant in a decision to drop the
Model C3 lawnchair product. The avoidable costs are:
Direct materials..............................................R122,000
Direct labor..................................................... 72,000
Fringe benefits (20% of direct labor)............... 14,400
Variable manufacturing overhead...................
3,600
Product managers salary................................ 10,000
Sales commissions (5% of sales)..................... 15,000
Fringe benefits (20% of salaries and
commissions)................................................
5,000
Shipping.......................................................... 10,000
Total avoidable cost........................................R252,000
The following costs are not relevant in this decision:
Cost
Building rent and
maintenance
Reason not relevant

All products use the same
facilities; no space would
be freed if a product were
dropped.
Depreciation
All products use the same

equipment so no
equipment can be sold.
Furthermore, the
equipment does not wear
out through use.
expenses
Dropping the Model C3

lawnchair would have no
effect on total general
administrative expenses.
Having determined the costs that can be avoided if the Model

C3 lawnchair is dropped, we can now make the following
computation:
Sales revenue lost if the Model C3 lawnchair is
dropped............................................................... R300,000
Less costs that can be avoided (see above)........... 252,000
Decrease in overall company net operating
R 48,000
689
income if the Model C3 lawnchair is dropped.......

690

Thus, the Model C3 lawnchair should not be dropped unless the
company can find more profitable uses for the resources
consumed by the Model C3 lawnchair.
2. To determine the minimum acceptable level of sales, we must
first classify the avoidable costs into variable and fixed costs as
follows:
Variable
R122,00
Direct materials.........................................
0
Direct labor................................................ 72,000
Fringe benefits (20% of direct labor).......... 14,400
Variable manufacturing overhead..............
3,600
Fixed
R10,00
0
Product managers salaries........................

Sales commissions (5% of sales)................ 15,000
Fringe benefits
(20% of salaries and commissions)..........
3,000
2,000
Shipping..................................................... 10,000
R240,00 R12,00
Total costs..................................................
0
0
The Model C3 lawnchair should be retained as long as its
contribution
margin covers its avoidable fixed costs. Break-even analysis
can be used to find the sales volume where the contribution
margin just equals the avoidable fixed costs.
The contribution margin ratio is computed as follows:
CM ratio =
=
Contribution margin
Sales
R300,000-R240,000
= 20%
R300,000

691

The break-even sales volume can be found using the breakeven
formula:
Break-even point =
=
Fixed costs
CM ratio
R12,000
= R60,000
0.20
Therefore, as long as the sales revenue from the Model C3

lawnchair exceeds R60,000, it is covering its own avoidable
fixed costs and is contributing toward covering the common
fixed costs and toward the profits of the entire company.

692

1.
Marcy
Tina
Cari
Lenn
y
Direct labor cost per

unit............................ $ 4.80 $ 3.00 $ 8.40 $ 6.00
Direct labor-hours per
unit* (a)..................... 0.40
0.25 0.70 0.50
Sewin
g Kit
$ 2.40
0.20
$22.0 $18.0
Selling price................. $35.00 $24.00
0
0 $14.00
Variable costs:
Direct materials......... 3.50
2.30 4.50 3.10
1.50
Direct labor................ 4.80
3.00 8.40 6.00
2.40
Variable overhead...... 1.60
1.00 2.80 2.00
0.80
Total variable costs...... 9.90
6.30 15.70 11.10
4.70
Contribution margin
(b)............................. $25.10 $17.70 $ 6.30 $ 6.90 $ 9.30
Contribution margin
$13.8
per DLH (b) (a)....... $62.75 $70.80 $ 9.00
0 $46.50
* Direct labor cost per unit $12.00 per direct labor-hour
2.
Product
Marcy.......................
Tina..........................
Cari..........................
Lenny.......................
Sewing Kit................
Total DLHs required. .
Estimate
DLH
d Sales
Per Unit
(units)
0.40
26,000
0.25
42,000
0.70
40,000
0.50
46,000
0.20
450,000
Total
DLHs
10,400
10,500
28,000
23,000
90,000
161,900
3. Because the Cari doll has the lowest contribution margin per
labor hour, its production should be reduced by 17,000 dolls
(11,900 excess DLHs 0.70 DLH per doll = 17,000 dolls). Thus,
production and sales of the Cari doll will be reduced to 23,000
dolls for the year.

693

4. Because the additional capacity would be used to produce the
Cari doll, the company should be willing to pay up to $21.00
per DLH ($12.00 usual labor rate plus $9.00 contribution
margin per DLH) for added labor time. Thus, the company
could employ workers for overtime at the usual time-and-a-half
rate of $18.00 per hour ($12.00 1.5 = $18.00) and still
improve overall profit.
5. Additional output could be obtained in a number of ways
including working overtime, adding another shift, expanding
the workforce, contracting out some work to outside suppliers,
and eliminating wasted labor time in the production process.
The first four methods are costly, but the last method can add
capacity at very low cost.
Technical note: Some would argue that direct labor is a fixed
cost in this situation and should be excluded when computing
the contribution margin per unit. However, when deciding
which products to emphasize, no harm is done by
misclassifying a fixed cost as a variable costproviding that
the fixed cost is the constraint. If direct labor were removed
from the variable cost category, the net effect would be to
bump up the contribution margin per direct labor-hour by
$12.00 for each of the products. The products will be ranked
exactly the samein terms of the contribution margin per unit
of the constrained resourcewhether direct labor is considered
variable or fixed. However, if labor is fixed and is not the
constraint, including labor cost in the calculation of the
contribution margin may lead to incorrect rankings of the
products.

694

1. A product should be processed further if the incremental
revenue from the further processing exceeds the incremental
costs. The incremental revenue from further processing of the
honey is:
Selling price of a container of honey drop
candies......................................................... $4.40
Selling price of three-quarters of a pound of
honey ($3.00 3/4)...................................... 2.25
Incremental revenue per container................. $2.15
The incremental variable costs are:
Decorative container....................................... $0.40
Other ingredients............................................ 0.25
Direct labor..................................................... 0.20
Variable manufacturing overhead.................... 0.10
Commissions (5% $4.40)............................. 0.22
Incremental variable cost per container.......... $1.17
Therefore, the incremental contribution margin is $0.98 per
container ($2.15 $1.17). The cost of purchasing the
honeycombs is not relevant because those costs are incurred
regardless of whether the honey is sold outright or processed
further into candies.
2. The only avoidable fixed costs of the honey drop candies are
the master candy makers salary and the fixed portion of the
salespersons compensation. Therefore, the number of
containers of the candy that must be sold each month to justify
continued processing of the honey into candies is determined
as follows:
Master candy makers salary........... $3,880
Salespersons fixed compensation...
2,000
Avoidable fixed costs....................... $5,880
Avoidable fixed costs

$5,880
=
=6,000 containers
Incremental CM per container $0.98 per container
695

If the company can sell more than 6,000 containers of the
candies each month, then profits will be higher than if the
honey were simply sold outright. If the company cannot sell at
least 6,000 containers of the candies each month, then profits
will be higher if the company discontinues making honey drop
candies. To verify this, we show below the total contribution to
profits of sales of 5,000, 6,000, and 7,000 containers of
candies, contrasted to sales of equivalent amounts of honey.
For example, instead of selling 4,500 pounds of honey, this
same amount of honey can be processed into 6,000 containers
of candy.
Sales of candies:
Containers sold per month............ 5,000
6,000
7,000
Sales revenue @ $4.40 per
$22,00
container.....................................
0 $26,400 $30,800
Less incremental variable costs @
$1.17 per container..................... 5,850
7,020
8,190
Incremental contribution margin. . . 16,150 19,380 22,610
Less avoidable fixed costs............. 5,880
5,880
5,880
$10,27
Total contribution to profits............
0 $13,500 $16,730
Sales of equivalent amount of
honey:
Pounds sold per month*................ 3,750
4,500
5,250
$11,25
Sales revenue @ $3.00 per pound.
0 $13,500 $15,750
* 5,000 containers 3/4 pounds per container = 3,750
pounds
6,000 containers 3/4 pounds per container = 4,500
pounds
7,000 containers 3/4 pounds per container = 5,250
pounds
If there is a choice between selling 3,750 pounds of honey or
selling 5,000 containers of candies, profits would be higher
selling the honey outright ($11,250 versus $10,270). The
company should be indifferent between selling 4,500 pounds of
honey or 6,000 containers of candy. In either case, the
696
contribution to profits would be $13,500. On the other hand, if

faced with a choice of selling 5,250 pounds of honey or 7,000
containers of candies, profits would be higher processing the
honey into candies ($16,730 versus $15,750).

697
Case 12-29 (120 minutes)

1. The product margins computed by the accounting department
for the drums and mountain bike frames should not be used in
the decision of which product to make. The product margins are
lower than they should be due to the presence of allocated
fixed common costs that are irrelevant in this decision.
Moreover, even after the irrelevant costs have been removed,
what matters is the profitability of the two products in relation
to the amount of the constrained resourcewelding timethat
they use. A product with a very low margin may be desirable if
it uses very little of the constrained resource. In short, the
financial data provided by the accounting department are
pretty much useless for making this decision.
2. Students may have answered this question assuming that
direct labor is a variable cost, even though the case strongly
hints that direct labor is a fixed cost. The solution is shown here
assuming that direct labor is fixed. The solution assuming that
direct labor is variable will be shown in part (4).
Solution assuming direct labor is fixed
Selling price..............................
Variable costs:
Direct materials......................
overhead..............................
Variable selling and
administrative......................
Total variable cost.....................
Contribution margin..................
Manufactured
Purchase
Mountain
d XSX
XSX
Bike
Drums
Drums Frames
$154.00 $154.00 $65.00
120.00
0.00
44.50
1.05
17.50
0.60
0.85
0.85
0.40
120.85
$ 33.15
46.40
$107.60
18.50
$46.50

698
Case 12-29 (continued)

3. Because the demand for the welding machine exceeds the
2,000 hours that are available, products that use the machine
should be prioritized based on their contribution margin per
welding hour. The computations are carried out below under
the assumption that direct labor is a fixed cost and then under
the assumption that it is a variable cost.
Solution assuming direct labor is fixed
Contribution margin per unit (from part 2)

(a)...........................................................
Welding hours per unit (b).........................
Contribution margin per welding hour (a)
(b).......................................................
Manufactured
Mountai
XSX
n Bike
Drums
Frames
$107.60 $46.50
0.8 hour 0.2 hour
$134.50 $232.50
per hour per hour

699

Because the contribution margin per unit of the constrained resource (i.e., welding time) is
larger for the mountain bike frames than for the XSX drums, the frames make the most
profitable use of the welding machine. Consequently, the company should manufacture as
many mountain bike frames as possible up to demand and then use any leftover capacity
to produce XSX drums. Buying the drums from the outside supplier can fill any remaining
unsatisfied demand for XSX drums. The necessary calculations are carried out below.
Analysis assuming direct labor is a fixed cost
(a)
Total hours available..............

Mountain bike frames
produced.............................
XSX Drumsmake.................
XSX Drumsbuy....................
Total contribution margin.......
(b)
Unit
Contribution
Quantity Margin
3,500
1,625
$ 46.50
107.60
1,375
33.15
(c)
Weldin
g Time
per
Unit
0.20
0.80
(a) (c)
Total
Weldin
g Time
700
1,300
Less: Contribution margin

from present operations:
2,500 drums $107.60 CM
per drum.............................
Increased contribution
Balanc
e of
Weldin
g Time
2,000
1,300
0
Total
Contribution
$162,75
0
174,850
45,58
1
383,181
269,00
0
$114,18

(a)
(b)
700
margin and net operating

income................................

701

4. The computation of the contribution margins and the analysis
of the best product mix are repeated here under the
assumption that direct labor costs are variable.
Solution assuming direct labor is a variable cost
Manufactured
Purchase
Mountain
d XSX
XSX
Bike
Drums
Drums Frames
Selling price................................ $154.00 $154.00 $65.00
Variable costs:
Direct materials........................ 120.00
44.50
17.50
Direct labor...............................
0.00
4.50
22.50
0.00
1.05
0.60
overhead................................
Variable selling and
0.85
0.85
0.40
administrative........................
Total variable cost....................... 120.85
50.90
41.00
Contribution margin.................... $ 33.15 $103.10 $24.00
Manufactured
Mountai
XSX
n Bike
Drums
Frames
Contribution margin per unit (above) (a)..... $103.10 $24.00
Welding hours per unit (b)........................... 0.8 hour 0.2 hour
$128.88 $120.00
(b)......................................................... per hour per hour
When direct labor is assumed to be a variable cost, the
conclusion is reversed from the case in which direct labor is
assumed to be a fixed costthe XSX drums appear to be a
better use of the constraint than the mountain bike frames. The
assumption about the behavior of direct labor really does
matter.

702

(a)
Quantity
Total hours available...............
(b)
Unit
Contribution
Margin
XSX Drumsmake..................
Mountain bike frames
produced..............................
2,500
$103.1
0
24.00
XSX Drumsbuy....................
Total contribution margin........
500
33.15
(c)
(a) (c)
Weldin
g Time
Total
per
Weldin
Unit
g Time
0.80
0.20
2,000
0
Less: Contribution margin

from present operations:
2,500 drums $103.10 CM
per drum..............................
Increased contribution
margin and net operating
income.................................
Balanc
e of
Weldin
g Time
2,000
0
0
Total
Contribution
$257,75
0
0
16,57
5
274,325
257,75
0
$ 16,57
5

(a)
(b)
703

5. The case strongly suggests that direct labor is fixed: The
mountain bike frames could be produced with existing
equipment and personnel. Nevertheless, it would be a good
idea to examine how much labor time is really needed under
the two opposing plans.
Plan 1:
Mountain bike
frames..................
XSX drums...............
Plan 2:
XSX drums...............
Direct LaborProduction Hours Per Unit

3,500
Total
Direct
LaborHours
1,625
1.25*
0.25**
4,375
406
4,781
2,500
0.25**
625
* $22.50 $18.00 per hour = 1.25 hours

** $4.50 $18.00 per hour = 0.25 hour
Some caution is advised. Plan 1 assumes that direct labor is a
fixed cost. However, this plan requires over 4,000 more direct
labor-hours than Plan 2 and the present situation. A full-time
employee works about 1,900 hours a year, so the added
workload is about equivalent to two full-time employees. Does
the plant really have that much idle time at present? If so, and
if shifting workers over to making mountain bike frames would
not jeopardize operations elsewhere, then Plan 1 is indeed the
better plan. However, if taking on the mountain bike frame as a
new product would lead to pressure to hire two more workers,
more analysis is in order. It is still best to view direct labor as a
fixed cost, but taking on the frames as a new product would
lead to a jump in fixed costs of about $68,400 (1,900 hours
$18 per hour 2). This must be covered by the additional
contribution margin or the plan should be rejected. See the
additional analysis on the next page.

704

Contribution margin from Plan 1:
Mountain bike frames produced (3,500
$46.50)...........................................................
XSX Drumsmake (1,625 $107.60)...............
XSX Drumsbuy (1,375 $33.15)...................
Total contribution margin...................................
Less: Additional fixed labor costs.........................
Net effect of Plan 1 on net operating income.......
Contribution margin from Plan 2:.........................
$162,75
0
174,850
45,58
1
383,181
68,40
0
$314,78
1
Net effect of Plan 2 on net operating income.......
$269,00
0
16,57
5
$285,57
5
Net advantage of Plan 1......................................
$ 29,20
6
XSX Drumsmake (2,500 $107.60)...............

XSX Drumsbuy (500 $33.15)......................
Plan 1, introducing the new product, would still be optimal even

if two more direct labor employees would have to be hired. The
reason for this is subtle. If the company does not make the XSX
drums itself, it can still buy them. Thus, using an hour of
welding time to make the mountain bike frames does not mean
giving up a contribution margin of $128.88 on drums (assuming
direct labor is a variable cost). The opportunity cost of using
the welding machine to produce mountain bike frames is less
than this since a purchased drum can replace a manufactured
drum. An amended analysis using the opportunity cost concept
appears on the next page.

705

Amended solution assuming direct labor is fixed
Manufactured
Mountai
XSX
n Bike
Drums
Frames
(a)............................................................. $74.45* $46.50
$93.06 $232.50
Amended solution assuming direct labor is a variable
cost
Manufactured
Mountai
XSX
n Bike
Drums
Frames
(a)............................................................. $69.95* $24.00
$87.44 $120.00
* Net of the $33.15 contribution margin of a purchased drum.
If the company does not make a drum, it can purchase one,
so the lost contribution from making bike frames rather than
drums is less than it otherwise would be.
With this amended approach, assuming direct labor is variable
points to the same solution as when direct labor is assumed to
be fixedplace the highest priority on making mountain bike
frames. This wont always happen.

706

1. Continuing to obtain covers from its own Greenville Cover Plant
would allow Mobile Seating Corporation to maintain its current
level of control over the quality of the covers and the timing of
their delivery. Keeping the Greenville Cover Plant open also
allows Mobile Seating Corporation more flexibility than
purchasing the coverings from outside suppliers. Mobile
Seating Corporation could more easily alter the coverings
design and change the quantities produced, especially if longterm contracts are required with outside suppliers. Mobile
Seating Corporation should also consider the economic impact
that closing Greenville Cover will have on the community and
how this might affect Mobile Seating Corporations other
operations in the region.
2. a. The following costs can be avoided by closing the plant, and
therefore are relevant to the decision:
Materials...............................
Labor:
Direct..................................
Supervision.........................
Indirect plant......................
Differential pension expense
($1,600,000 $700,000)....
$ 8,000,000
$6,700,000
400,000
1,900,000
Total annual relevant costs....
9,000,000
900,000
$17,900,00
0
b. The following costs cant be avoided by closing the plant,

and therefore are not relevant to the decision:
Depreciationequipment.........................
Depreciationbuilding..............................
Continuing pension cost............................
Plant manager and staff............................
Corporate expenses
Total annual continuing costs....................
$1,300,000
2,100,000
700,000
600,000
1,700,000
$6,400,000

707

Depreciation is not relevant to the decision because it is a
sunk cost. Moreover, whether the plant is closed or continues
to operate, all of the remaining book value of the equipment
and buildings will eventually be written off. A total of
$700,000 of the annual pension expense is not relevant
because it would continue whether or not the plant is closed.
The amount for plant manager and staff is not relevant
because Restin and her staff would continue with Mobile
Seating Corporation and administer the three remaining
plants. The corporate allocation is not relevant because it
represents allocated fixed costs incurred outside the
Greenville Cover Plant that presumably would not change if
the plant were closed.
c. The following nonrecurring costs would arise in the year that
the plant is closed, but would not be incurred in any other
year:
Termination charges on canceled material
orders
($8,000,000 25%)...................................... $2,000,000
Employment assistance...................................
800,000
Total nonrecurring costs................................... $2,800,000
These two costs are relevant to the decision because they
will be incurred only if the plant is closed. The $2,000,000
salvage value of the equipment and buildings offsets these
costs.
3. No, the plant should not be closed. The computations are:
Cost of purchasing the covers
outside.........................................
Annual costs avoided by closing the
plant (Part 2a)..............................
Cost of closing the plant (first year
non-recurring costs).....................
Salvage value of buildings and
equipment....................................
First Year
Other Years
$(21,000,00$(21,000,000
0)
)
17,900,000
17,900,000
(2,800,000)
2,000,000

708
Net advantage (disadvantage) of

closing the plant...........................
$ (3,900,000 $ (3,100,000
)
)

709

4. Factors that should be considered by Mobile Seating
Corporation before making a decision include:
a. Alternative uses of the building and equipment.
b. Any tax implications.
c. The outside suppliers prices in future years.
d. The cost to manufacture coverings at the Greenville Cover
Plant in future years.
e. The value of the time Restin and her staff would have spent
managing the Greenville Cover Plant.
f. The morale of Mobile Seating Corporation employees at
other plants.

710

1. The lowest price Jenco could bid for the one-time special order
of 25,000 pounds (25 lots) without losing money would
$34,750, as shown below.
Direct materials:
CW-3: 400 pounds per lot 25 lots = 10,000 pounds.
Substitute CN-5 on a one-for-one basis to its total of
5,500 pounds. If CN-5 is not used in this order, it
will be salvaged for $500. Therefore, the relevant
cost is.......................................................................
The remaining 4,500 pounds would be CW-3 at a
cost of $0.90 per pound............................................
JX-6: 300 pounds per lot 25 lots = 7,500 pounds at
$0.60 per pound.......................................................
MZ-8: 200 pounds per lot 25 lots = 5,000 pounds
at $1.60 per pound...................................................
BE-7: 100 pounds per lot 25 lots = 2,500 pounds at
$0.55 per pound, the amount Jenco could realize by
selling BE-7 [$0.65 market price $0.10 handling
charge].....................................................................
Total direct materials cost...........................................
$ 500
4,050
4,500
8,000
1,37
5
18,42
5
Direct labor: 30 DLHs per lot 25 lots = 750 DLHs. Because

only 400 hours can be scheduled during regular time this
month, overtime would have to be used for the remaining
350 hours.
400 DLHs $14.00 per DLH.......................................
350 DLHs $21.00 per DLH.......................................
Total direct labor cost..................................................
5,600
7,35
0
12,95
0
Overhead: This special order will not increase fixed overhead

costs. Therefore, only the variable overhead is relevant.
750 DLHs $4.50 per DLH.........................................
3,375
Total relevant cost of the special order.......................
$34,75
0

711

712

2. In this part, we calculate the price for recurring orders of
25,000 pounds (25 lots) using the companys rule of marking
up its full manufacturing cost. This is probably not the best
pricing policy to follow, but is a common practice in business.
Direct materials: Because of the possibility that future orders
would exhaust existing inventories of CN-5 and BE-7 and new
supplies would have to be purchased, all raw materials
should be charged at their expected future cost, which is the
current market price.
CW-3: 10,000 pounds $0.90 per pound......... $9,000
JX-6: 7,500 pounds $0.60 per pound.............
4,500
MZ-8: 5,000 pounds $1.60 per pound............
8,000
BE-7: 2,500 pounds $0.65 per pound............
1,625
Total direct materials cost................................. $23,125
Direct labor: 60% (i.e., 450 DLHs) of the production of a batch
can be done on regular time; but the remaining production
(i.e., 300 DLHs) must be done on overtime.
Regular time 450 DLHs $14.00 per DLH........ $ 6,300
Overtime premium 300 DLHs $21.00 per
DLH................................................................
6,300
Total direct labor cost........................................ $12,600
Overhead: The full manufacturing cost includes both fixed and
variable manufacturing overhead.
Manufacturing overhead applied:
750 DLHs $12.00 per DLH........................... $9,000
Full manufacturing cost..................................... $44,725
Markup (40% $44,725).................................. 17,890
Selling price (full manufacturing cost plus
markup).......................................................... $62,615

713

1. The original cost of the facilities at Ashton is a sunk cost and
should be ignored in any decision. The decision being
considered here is whether to continue operations at Ashton.
The only relevant costs are the future facility costs that would
be affected by this decision. If the facility were shut down, the
Ashton facility has no resale value. In addition, if the Ashton
facility were sold, the company would have to rent additional
space at the remaining processing centers. On the other hand,
if the facility were to remain in operation, the building should
last indefinitely, so the company does not have to be
concerned about eventually replacing it. Essentially, there is no
real cost at this point of using the Ashton facility despite what
the financial performance report indicates. Indeed, it might be
a better idea to consider shutting down the other facilities
because the rent on those facilities might be avoided.
The costs that are relevant in the decision to shut down the
Ashton facility are:
$400,00
Increase in rent at Pocatello and Idaho Falls............
0
Decrease in local administrative expenses..............
(60,000)
$340,00
Net increase in costs...............................................
0
In addition, there would be costs of moving the equipment from
Ashton and there might be some loss of revenues due to
disruption of services. In sum, closing down the Ashton facility
will almost certainly lead to a decline in FSCs profits.
Even though closing down the Ashton facility would result in a
decline in overall company profits, it would result in an
improved performance report for the Great Basin Region
(ignoring the costs of moving equipment and potential loss of
revenues from disruption of service to customers).

714

Financial Performance
After Shutting Down the Ashton Facility
Great Basin Region
Total
$20,000,00
Revenues........................................
0
Operating expenses:
Direct labor................................... 12,200,000
Variable overhead.........................
400,000
Equipment depreciation................
2,100,000
Facility expenses*.........................
1,500,000
Local administrative expenses**...
390,000
Regional administrative expenses
400,000
Corporate administrative
expenses....................................
1,600,000
Total operating expense.................. 18,590,000
$
Net operating income......................
1,410,000
* $2,000,000 $900,000 + $400,000 =
$1,500,000
** $450,000 $60,000 = $390,000
2. If the Ashton facility is shut down, FSCs profits will decline,
employees will lose their jobs, and customers will at least
temporarily suffer some decline in service. Therefore, Braun is
willing to sacrifice the interests of the company, its employees,
and its customers just to make his performance report look
better.
While Braun is not a management accountant, the Standards of
Ethical Conduct for Management Accountants still provide
useful guidelines. By recommending closing the Ashton facility,
Braun will have to violate the Credibility Standard, which
requires the disclosure of all relevant information that could
reasonably be expected to influence an intended users
understanding of the reports, analyses, or recommendation.
Presumably, if the corporate board were fully informed of the
consequences of this action, they would disapprove.
715
In sum, it is difficult to describe the recommendation to close

the Ashton facility as ethical behavior. In Brauns defense,
however, it is not fair to hold him responsible for the mistake
made by his predecessor.

716

It should be noted that the performance report required by
corporate headquarters is likely to lead to other problems such
as the one illustrated here. The arbitrary allocations of
corporate and regional administrative expenses to processing
centers may make other processing centers appear to be
unprofitable even though they are not. In this case, the
problems created by these arbitrary allocations were
compounded by using an irrelevant facilities expense figure on
the performance report.
3. Prices should be set ignoring the depreciation on the Ashton
facility. As argued in part (1) above, the real cost of using the
Ashton facility at this point is zero. Any attempt to recover the
sunk cost of the original cost of the building by charging higher
prices than the market will bear will lead to less business and
lower profits.

717

1. Yes, milling of flour should be discontinued if the price remains
at $625, but not for the reason given by the sales manager. The
reason it should be discontinued is that the added contribution
margin that can be obtained from milling a ton of cracked
wheat into flour is less than the contribution margin that can be
obtained from using the milling capacity to produce another
ton of cracked wheat and selling it as cereal. The analysis is:
Selling price per ton of cracked wheat.......................... $490
Variable expenses ($390 materials and $20 labor).......
410
Contribution margin per ton of cracked wheat.............. $80
Added revenue from further milling of cracked wheat
into flour ($625 $490).............................................. $135
Less costs of further milling ($80 materials and $20
labor)*........................................................................
100
Contribution margin per ton of flour.............................. $35
* The overhead costs are not relevant, since they are fixed
and will remain the same whether the milling capacity is
used to produce cracked wheat or flour.
Therefore, the company makes more money using its milling
capacity to produce cracked wheat than flour.
2. Because the demand for the two products is unlimited and both
require the same amount of milling time, the company should
process the cracked wheat into flour only if the contribution
margin for flour is at least as large as the contribution margin
for cracked wheat. In algebraic form:
Added revenue from
Costs of
milling cracked wheat - further
into flour
processing
Contribution margin
of
cracked wheat
(Selling price of flour - $490) - $100 $80

Selling price of flour $80 + $490 + $100 = $670
Therefore, the selling price of flour should be at least $670;

otherwise, the mill should be used to produce cracked wheat.
718

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Chapter 12

Differential Analysis: The Key to

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12-1 A relevant cost is a cost that differs

12-9 Allocations of common fixed costs

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the joint costs are not avoidable and are

the number of passengers on the flight.

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Exercise 12-1 (15 minutes)

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Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

Exercise 12-2 (30 minutes)

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Total fixed expenses................ 405,000 353,000

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Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

Exercise 12-2 (continued)

68,000 85,000 72,000

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Exercise 12-3 (30 minutes)

Total costs............................... $17

Only the supervisory salaries can be avoided if the parts are

Cost of purchasing (part 1)...................

Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

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Exercise 12-4 (15 minutes)

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Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

Exercise 12-5 (20 minutes)

Selling price per unit.............

Production of the Fishing Quiver product would be the most

Selling price per unit.............

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Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

Exercise 12-5 (continued)

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Exercise 12-6 (20 minutes)

Selling price per unit............................................

The company should be willing to pay up to $50 per hour to

Selling price per unit.............

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Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

The offer to upholster chairs for $45 per hour should be

Sales value after further

Products Y and Z should be processed further, but not Product

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Exercise 12-8 (10 minutes)

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Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

Exercise 12-9 (15 minutes)

(a) Direct materials required per

Product Product Product

Because Product Z uses the least amount of material per unit of

more material (the constrained

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Exercise 12-10 (30 minutes)

Net disadvantage of dropping the cases...

The same solution can be obtained by preparing comparative

Managerial Accounting, 14th Edition

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Exercise 12-11 (20 minutes)